Addressing-machine.



No. 826,053. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

O. OWENS. ADDRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR, 23, 1904. RENEWED JULY 25, 1902:.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

India r01? PATENTED JULY'17, 1906.

0. OWENS. ADDRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, l9 04. RENEWED JULY 25, 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2 (LOWBNS. ADDRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1904. RENEWED JULY 25,1905. 7

PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET. 3

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' y W t/MM X I PATENTED JULY 17, 19.06.

v 0-..0WENS.. ADDRESSING MAGHINL APPLIUATION FILED APR. 23,-1904. RENEWED JULY 26, 19 05.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

hen/97" CHA RLE s O dam/f No. 826,053. PATENTED JULY 17., 1906.

0. OWENS. ADDRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1904. RENEWED JULY 25, 1 905 6 SHEETSSHEET 5 iawewz 'iINITED' sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

cHARLEs owENs, or CHATTANOOGA,TENNESSEE.

' ADDRESSING MACHiNEL Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patentedjuly 17,1906.

Application filed April 23, 1904. Renewed July 25, 1906. Serial in. 27146;.

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES OWENS, "a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, Tennessee, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in' Addressing-Machines, of which the following is 'a' specificaa tion. I I My invention relates .to addressing-machines of the class in 'whichs tencils are em so that when a magazine is present to have the address printed thereon, the said parts of the machine will be set in inotionpwhileonthe other hand, if no, magazine or paper is fed to or toward the printing-point there will be no operation of the stencil-feeding mechanism and'the impression or printing means.

Another objectof my invention is to provide means for throwing out of operation the machine or mechanism which feeds the magazines to the point where they are addressed when the supply of stencils becomes exhausted from the hopper or stencil-holder, as I a result of which the stencil-feeding means and rinting means will remain inoperative so ong as no stencils are in the hopper.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed j out in the claims.

den parts being also shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a front elevation looking from the left of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail view of the cam-ring and switch-lever;

, Fig. 5 is aview of the opposite side of the camring and switch-lever from that shown in Fig.

4. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the switch-lever. Fig; '6 is a detail sectional View.

, zinc or other article;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic View of the machine and its connections to the feeder for the maga- Incarrying out my present inventionI util-' ize sogne of the features disclosed inLetters Patent of the United States granted to me 'Augu st- 1903 No. 735,405; and particularly asregards a step-'by-Step-movihg carrier having pawls to engage a constantly-rotating part, the movement of said carrier-being co'ntrolled-by the presence of a magazine or paper fed to the machine. v

In the presentinstance the carrier is used to convey the stencils one by one to the printing-point, and the step-by-step movement of the carrier, as well as the operation of the printing mechanism, depends upon whether or not'a magazine or paper is fed to the machine to be addressed.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a hopper 'or holder for the stencils. 2represents an impres sion-roller'or rotary platen; 3, an inking pad or roller, while 4'indicates traveling bands or .strips running parallel and adapted to convey the magazines or papers to the said platen and roller for receiving the impression,'for which purpose the stencils are also conveyed to a point beneath the magazines or papers and between the same and roller.

The stencils are fed to the printing-point by a carrier or feedef composed of a rotary frame. This is made up of a side or wheel 5, arranged to turn freely on a shaft 6 and having connected thereto a circular rim 7, which is of the same diameter as the wheel or disk 5. This circular rim is su ported from the wheel or side 5 by the bracffets or bars 9, extending from the inner lateral face of the said wheel and joined to the inner face of the rim, screws 10 being used as the means of connection. This construction provides a rotary frame made up of a side or wheel supported freely on the shaft 6 and carrying an overhanging circular rim of the same diameter and spaced apart therefrom by means of the supports or brackets. carries teeth 11, projecting from the inner side of the wheel beyond the periphery of the same and adapted to engage the lowermost stencil of the pile in the magazine or hopper 1 and feed or carry the same therefrom to the printing-point. In order to assist in carry ing the stencils, I provide bosses 12 on the outersides of the rotary carrier or frame,

the inking pad or This frame or feeder stencil holder or hopper is. indicated in Fig. 1 with the teeth 11 disposed on opposite sides of the hopper and at some distance therefrom. From this position the carrier is started, and the teeth engage with the stencils after they (the teeth) have been set in motion, and said teeth carry the stencils around to a point adjacent the latch, and the machine then comes to rest. During this time the stencil of course has been resting on the pcriplury of the rims of wheels lit will he noticed that the traveling bands I for carrying the magazine, paper, or other article extend substantially tangential in relation to the periphery of the feeder or carricr for the stencils, and the magazine or other article is thus directed into proximity to the Cilllltil.

The magazine, like that disclosed in my patent above mentioned, controls the ste' hy-step movement of the carrier, and in "0 1e present case this is accomplished as follows: On the shaft (5 a re! whet-wheel 1.3 is fixed to rotate crmstantly therewith. The side 5 of the carrier-wheel has pivoted Lflereto at 14 a series of pawls 15, the teeth of which are adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchetwheel when said pawls are allowed to drop into engagement therewith. The pawls and the manner in which they are controlled are similar to what is disclosed in the patent referred to. Each pawl carries near its front end a laterally-extending pin 16, which enters a lateral groove 17 in a ring 18, which is rigidly secured to the frame of the machine in any suitable manner. These pins engaging the groove hold the pa'wls out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The ring 18 is cut away at 19, so that the pawls drop into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, and for controlling this action 1 ei'nploy switch-lever pivoted at 23 to the stationary ring on the outer face thereof, the said switch-lever being indicated at 20 and having at its free end laterally-extending flanges 21, forming continua'tions of the flanges or walls of the guidegrdove 17 of the stationary ring or frame. This switch-lever held up, so that the space21 between the flanges 21 will form a continuation of the groove 17, bya latch 22, pivoted at 23 on the outer side of the stationary ring or frame, the said latch having a shoulder 24 to engage a projection 25 on the switch-lever. The latch is drawn, toward the projection by a spring 26. Another spring 27 draws the switch-lever downwardly when it is released from the latch. The latch extends upwardly into the path of the magazine; paper, or oth *r article which is being carried along by the traveling bands.

As above stated the carrier is normally at rest, and its uppernn'ist pair of teeth are holding a stencil adjacent the hands 4 and immediately below the sanie. The bands are directed by guide rollers 28 on shafts 29, and a magazine or paper moving with the bands will strike the upper end of the latch and operate it to release theswitoh-lever, thus allowing the pawl being held up by the switch-lever to drop down into engagement with the ratchet-wheel. The'carrier will now begin to rotate with ratchet-wheel, and the in 16 on the pawl will ride on an inclined efge 30, which, it will be seen, will lift the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel as the pawl approaches the end 31 of theincline, and at the moment this disengaging action takes place the pin 16 on the next following pawl will engage a stop 31, which is arranged directly opposite the mouth of the switch-lever, which has now been raised to its normal position, as will be hereinafter described.

From what has just been stated it will be seen that the carrier. is given a step-by-step movement by means ofthe magazines acting in succession upon the latch 22, thus releasing the pawls successively from the switchlever and from the stop 31, each pawl as it falls engaging the ratchet-wheel, and thus causing the carrier to be moved until the pin.

on the pawl has moved up the incline 80 and the pawl has been withdrawn from the ratchetteeth, the next pawl havin been brought around by this movement of the carrier so that its pin 16 will be resting in the switch lever and against the stop 31, by which the movement of the carrier is arrested. The switch-lever is raised to normal position against the action of its spring by pins 32 on the carrier, projecting laterally therefrom and arranged to engage an overhanging flan e33 on the switch-lever, so that the switch ever is raised and the latch engages and holds the same just before the pin 16 on the pawl arrives at the flange 21 of the switch-lever.

It will be understood that the step-by-step action just mentioned will take place prothe next magazine has struck the latch 22; I

but, on the'other hand, if the feed of the magazines is such that the latch 22 is operated just before the next pawl arrives thereat'it will be clear that said next pawl will be di rected by the switch so that instead of striking the stop 31 it will engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, and thus the carrier will be kept in continuous rotation so long as the magazines arrive in proper order or time. It is also nnportant in this construction to note that in my invention the carrier is'n0r-,

inally at-rest and is started by a magazine be ing fed thereto, after which its, movement will be either continuous if the. magazines are fed thereto in succession or step by-step if the magazines are fed there t0 irregularly or out of proper time.

and also because of the fact that the latch is located at this point the stencil will register with the oncoming magazine, and as the car-. rier immediately begins to move when the magaz ne operates the latch the stencil and the magazine will move forward together to. the printing mechanism and with the stencil below the magazine. A shield is provided at 34, under which the stencil moves, one of these shields being arran ed opposite the periphery of each side of the carrier and curved to conform thereto.

The printing mechanism comprises the stencil and impression roller or platen 2 carried by a shaft 36 and arranged over the path of the magazine. On the under side of the path of the magazine an inking pad or roller 3 is arranged on the shaft 38. This shaft extends in from the right-hand side of the rotary frame or carrier and beneath the overhanging rim 7, it carries the inking pad or roller upon its inner end .flhis inking-pad receives its supply of ink from shrinking-roller 39, partly immersed in ink within a fountain 40. This inking-roller is .on a'shaft 41., extending out toward the right ,of the machine.

The inking consisting o 'a gear-wheel 42 on a. sleeve 43, connected with the wheel or side 5 of the carrier, which sleeve rotates on the main shaft 6. This gear meshes with a gear 44 on the shaft of the impression roll or platen, and this shaft is geared to the shaft of the inking-roller by the gears 45 and 46. The 'ng-roller is driven through the gear 46 just mentioned and the gear 46 It will be seen from the above that the carrier for feeding the stencils depends for its feeding action upon the presence of a magazine or other article to receive the address.

If such article is fed forward by the carrier- -bands, a stencil will be fed. forward to print dressed.

I also provide means whereby the machine will be controlled bythe presence or absence of the stencils in the hopper, and for this purpose I provide a followerin the hopper adapted to rest on the pile of stencils and having on its lower face a contact-point 48, to which a conducting-Wire 49 extends. A second point 50 is arranged at the bottom of the opper, adapted to be struck by thecontact first mentioned when the hopper of stencils has become exhausted and the follower reaches the bottom thereof. This will close an electric circuit and operate a suitable clutch-controlling mechanism which feeds. the magazines or delivers to the bands. In

this way the stencil-feeding frame will be conmechanism is driven by gearing trolled by the presence or absence of the stencils in the hopper, as well as by the presence 4 'of a ma azine in the bands.

It Wil beobserved that I have associated a step-by-step carrier for the stencils with a continuously-moving carrier for the maga-' zines or other articles to be addressed, and

after the printing has been done and the carrier for. the stencils is at restthe continuouslymoving magazine will act to discharge the stencil from the printing-point. It will be noticed that the carriers, begin to diverge at this point; but the magazine will engagethe stencil sufficiently to cause its discharge.

It will be further noticed that the printing mechanism is dependent for its operation upon the st'ep-bystep movement of the carrier.

- In order to cause the magazine to be pressed onto the stencil with some force in order to discharge it, I cause the bands 4 4 to move in a plane slightly below or rather within the plane of the periphery of the carrier. This is accomplished by arranging the rollers 28 28* in the relation'zas shown in Fig. 1, by which ;it will be noticed that the bands after leaving the printing-point will still cause the magazine to press on the stencil,,and thus effect its discharge from the machine, whence it falls down an incline 28 to a receptacle 28 The rollers 28 one for each pair of bands 4, are suitably supported to one side of the rotary carrier, and such supports are indicated in dotted lines at 51 in Fig. 3. All the various shafts may be supportedin a similar manner by frame or standards.

Referring to Fig. 7,.I show the complete ,machine in diagram order to illustrate the manner in which the operation of the feeder and the mechanism which sends forward the magazine are controlled by the absence of stencils. In this drawing, 52 indicates generally the feeding-rolls for magazines and wrapping-paper, such as are shown at 8 9 in my Letters Patent of the United States granted May 17, 1903, No. 722,789, and 19 20 24*, and 28 are the folding-rollers which take the magazine and its Wrapper and fold and wrap the same. 53 indicates generally asting mechanism, which gives the final fo (1 to the wrapper and pastes the same down firmly. This pasting mechanism is the same as that disclosed inmyapplication for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 115,989, filed Julyl7, 1902, the pasteroll being indicated at 54. The magazine on leaving the rolls 2.0 28 is carried b the endless bands 55 to the rolls"56 57, w ence the magazine passes through the rolls 57 and 58, from which it is taken by the bands 4 4 and carried thereby to the step-by-step feeder. The complete machine is so organized that the feedin in ofthe magazines by the rolls 52, the fol 'ng by the rolls 19 20 24 and 28 and the operation of the pasting mechanbe started from a ism is dependent upon the operation of a clutch which is located at the point indicated in the diagram by the word clutch, such clutch being of any suitable construction and arrangement adapted to be operated electrically. To this clutch the circuit connec- ',tions 49 and 50 extend, so that when contact zine or other article to be addressed to start ,said carrier from a position of rest, an 11npression plate or roller, and inking means associated With the said rotary carrier, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a rotary carrier for printing-plates, having means to hold the plates on its periphery, carrier means for the magazines disposed in the plane in which the rotary carrier moves to carry the magazines to the periphery of the carrier automatically, controlling means for the rotary carrier operated by the magazine or other article to be addressed to start said carrier from a position of rest, and inking and impression means associated With the said rotary carrier, substantially'as described.

3. In combination in an addressing-machine, a rotary carrier for the printing-plates, driving mechamsm for operating the carrier,

a carrier for the magazines, controlling means for the rotary carrier operated by the movement of the magazine or other article to be addressed to start said carrier from a position of rest, and inking and impression means having their surfaces disposed at the periphery of the said rotary carrier and rendered eifective by the movement thereof, substantially .as described.

4. In combination in an addressing-machme, a rotary carrier for the printing-plates .and printing means including inking means, said rotary carrier and inking means being controlled by the presence of. a magazine to position of rest, substan tially as described."

5. In combination 1n an addressing-machine, a rotary carrier for the printing-plates,

driving means for the said carrier, and-inking means, said driving means and inking means being controlled by the presence of amaga- 'zine to be addressed. to be started from a position of rest, substantially as described.

6. In combination in an addressing-machine, a rotary carrier for the printing-plates,

means for feeding magazines to the periphery of said carrier, means for feeding printingplates or stencils tothe periphery of the carrier, means for controlling the movement of the carrier by the magazine to start said carrier from a position of rest and inking and impression means operating adjacent the periphery of the rotary carrier, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a rotary carrier .for stencils, a carrier for the magazine-,=-control ling means for the rotary carrier operated by the magazine or other article to be addressed to start said rotary carrier from a position of rest, an impression platen or roller, and inking means associated With the, said rotary carrier and magazine-carrier, substantiallyas described. r I

S. In combination, a carrier, means for moving the same step by step and controlling means for the driving means operated by the magazine or other article, the said carrier moving under and being ada ted to take stencils from a suitable suppy and ,move

them to the printing-point, substantially as described.

9. In combination in an addressing-machine, a rotary carrier for the stencils, driving mechanism for operating the carrier step by step, a carrier for the magazine and controlling means operated by the movement of the magazine or other article to be addressed, said carriers being arranged to place the magazine and stencil one on top of the other and inking'means to which the carriers move the magazine and stencil, substantially as described.

1.0. In combination in an addressing-machine, a step-byst. ep carrier for the stencils, driving means therefor, and printing mechanism including inking. means, said driving means and printing mechanism being controlled by the presence of a magazineto be addressed substantially as described.

11. In combination in an addressing-min chine, a rotary carrier, driving mechanism for operating the same step by step controlling means extending to-a point at or near the periphery of the carrier a second carrier moving at or near the periphery of the first carrier and into the'planelof which the,

controlling means extend, and .adapted to superimpose. the. magazine upon. the stencil and printing -.inechanism including inking means to which the carriers move the superimposed parts, substantially as described.

12. In combination in an addressingnachine, a step-by-step carrier for-the stencils, driving mechanism therefor controlling means-for the driving mechanism arranged tobe operated by the presence of the in agazine or other "article .to be addressed and printing means driven from the stepeby-step carrier substantially as described.

13.- In combination, .a rotarycarrier for switch-lever for holding the p'awlsout of enthe stencils, driving mechanism therefor,

. 'controllingmeans for the driving mechanism,

a carrier moving at the periphery of the car- Y rier first mentioned, for the magazines or like articles, and intermittently-rotatin im ression and hiking rolls on opposite si es the magaZme carrier, substantially as described. 14. In combination, a rotary carrier inthe form of a frame havingan overhanging portion and an openperiphery, teeth on'the said I carrier for enga ing stencils, a carrier for the ingro 5 'ma azines or t e ke moving substantially at t e periphery of the stencil-carrier, a'ninkler or pad beneath the overhanging portion of the rotary frame, and an impres sion-roller between which and the periphery of the-carrier the magazine and stencil are passed substantially as described.

15. In combination, a step-by step carrier for the stencils, a continuously-moving carrier for the'magazines or other articles to be addressed, controlling means for the stencil.-

carrier operated by the passage of a ma azine, printing means comprising members 0- cated on opposite sides of the path of the magazine and stencil and d-rivin means therefor, the said magazine being a apted'to discharge the stencil after the stencil-carrier .comes to rest,substantially as described.

16 .In combination, a rotary carrier for thestencils, driving means for moving the same. step by step, traveling bands for the magazine and controlling means 0 erated by the magazine for controlling t e .driving mechanism of the stencil-carrier, said travelin bands .being guided to conform substantia ly to the peri hery of the carrier to main- 40 carrier for thestencils, a driving mechan sm tain control of t e assembled magazine and stencil, substantially. as described. 17. In combination, a step-'by-step rotary therefor, controlling'means for the drivin mechanism whereby the carrier is operate step by step, a carrier for'the magazines 1 inkand impression rollers." and caring for driving the same operated from the stepbystep carrier, substantially as described. 7

18. In combination, a rotary carrier, a

constantly-rotating ratchet-wheel, pawls on the carrier to engage the ratchet-wheel, a

' 'gag'ement, a latch controlling the switch-lever and'a magazine-carrier arranged to move the magazine so asto operate the latch, said latch'extending substantially radially of the carrier, substantially as described.

' 19. In combmat1on,-a carrier, 9. coninpresence of two witnesses.

stantly-rotating ratchet-wheel, a pawl. on the carrier to engage the same, a switch-lever controlling the position of the-pawl, a latch for controlling the switch-lever and means for raising the switch-lever to engage the latch, said means being on the carrier and engaging a portion of the switch-lever, substantially as described.

20. In combination, a carrier, a constantly-rotating ratchet-wheel, a pawl on the carrier, a switch-lever .for controlling the pawl, a latch controlling the switch-lever, and a pin on the carrier to engage a part of the switch-lever to return the same to normal position, substantially as described.

21. In an addressing-machine, a rotary carrier for the stencils or printing-plates,

means for automatically supplying stencils to the periphery of the rotary carrier, un-

pression means, means for automatically feeding the magazines, driving means, and means for controlling the same by the magazine to start the rotary carrier from a position of rest, said carrier rotating continuously as long as the magazines are being properly fed to meet the stencils or printingplates in proper order. and becoming step by step under irregularity of feed, substantlally as described.

' 22. In combination, ahoplper for the stencils, a carrier for the stencils avmg teeth and rubber-. covered contacting portions to engage the stencils means for feedingmagazines to the stencils, and inking and impression means substantially as described.

' 23. In combination, in an addressing-machine, a rotary step-by-step carrier for the stencils, a hopper, the said carrier being adapted to take the stencils fromthe hopper and'move them to a point beyond the hopper my signature CHARLES OWENS.

vWitnesses: I. V. HARTMAN,

BEN H. BROWN. 

